Taro Milkshake with Tapioca Pearls

Name: Taro Milkshake with Tapioca Pearls
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 48 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 9 oz (250 g) taro root, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes; 1 cup (240 ml) water, for the steaming pot; 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar; ⅛ tsp (¾ g) fine salt; ½ tsp (2½ ml) pure vanilla extract; ⅓ cup (55 g) dried tapioca pearls (standard black boba); 4 cups (950 ml) water, for boiling the pearls; 2 tbsp (25 g) dark brown sugar, packed; 2 tbsp (30 ml) hot water, very hot from the kettle or tap; 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, cold; 2 cups (280 g) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, 5 minutes on the counter

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, creamy, lavender-tinged milkshake made from real steamed taro, vanilla ice cream and cold milk, topped with chewy brown-sugar tapioca pearls. It tastes nutty, lightly sweet and a bit like vanilla and sweet potato.

Prep: 22 min
Cook: 48 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: 2 milkshakes (about 16 oz / 475 ml each)

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the taro paste
9 oz (250 g) taro root, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 cup (240 ml) water, for the steaming pot
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
⅛ tsp (0.8 g) fine salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the tapioca pearls
⅓ cup (55 g) dried tapioca pearls (standard black boba)
4 cups (950 ml) water, for boiling the pearls
2 tbsp (25 g) dark brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp (30 ml) hot water, very hot from the kettle or tap
For the milkshake
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, cold
2 cups (280 g) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, 5 minutes on the counter

Equipment (8)

Steamer basket set over a medium pot with a lid, or a steamer with a lid
Medium saucepan with lid (3-quart / 3 L) for the pearls
Fork or potato masher
Blender (standard or high-speed, 1.2 L or larger)
Fine-mesh strainer or colander
2 tall glasses (16 oz / 475 ml) with wide boba straws
Small bowl and spoon
Vegetable peeler and sharp knife

Steps

Before you start

Buy fresh or frozen taro root (not taro powder). Frozen peeled taro cubes work well and can go straight into the steamer.
Wear disposable gloves when peeling raw taro. It can make your hands itch.
Check your tapioca pearl package. This recipe is for standard pearls that cook in about 20 minutes. If yours are quick-cook, follow the package time instead.
Keep the ice cream in the freezer and the milk in the fridge until blending. Cold ingredients give a thick shake.
Chill two tall glasses in the freezer while the taro steams (optional).

1
Peel and cut taro
- Wearing gloves, peel the taro with a vegetable peeler, rinse it, and cut it into even 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes so they cook at the same rate.
- You should have about 250 g (9 oz) of cubes.
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Ready when: Cubes are roughly uniform in size with no brown or fibrous skin left.
Tip: Raw taro can make skin itchy. Gloves prevent this, and washing your hands with soap afterward helps.
2
Steam the taro
- Pour 1 cup (240 ml) water into a pot and set a steamer basket over it, with the water below the basket.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, add the taro, cover, and reduce to medium so it steams steadily.
- Steam for 23–25 minutes.
- Add a splash of boiling water if the pot runs low.
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Ready when: A fork slides into the center of a cube with no resistance and the edges start to crumble.
Tip: Undercooked taro is gritty and can taste harsh. If a fork meets any resistance, steam 5 more minutes.
3
Mash the taro
- Move the hot taro to a bowl.
- Add the sugar, salt and vanilla.
- Mash with a fork or potato masher into a thick, mostly smooth paste with just a few small flecks.
- You should have about 1 cup (225 g).
- Leave it to cool while you cook the pearls.
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Ready when: No large chunks remain, and the paste holds together like thick mashed potato.
Tip: Mash while the taro is hot, as it is much harder to smooth once cooled.
4
Boil the pearls
- Bring 4 cups (950 ml) water to a full rolling boil in a 3-quart (3 L) saucepan over high heat.
- Add the pearls and stir gently.
- When they float, about 1 minute, reduce to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
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Ready when: Pearls are soft and translucent-black with no hard white center when you bite one.
Tip: Make sure the water is at a full boil before adding the pearls or they can turn mushy and stick together.
5
Rest the pearls
- Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and let the pearls sit in their hot water for 10 minutes.
- This finishes the cooking and gives them a chewy, tender center.
- The taro paste cools during this time.
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Ready when: Pearls are uniformly soft and chewy all the way through.
6
Sweeten the pearls
- Stir the brown sugar into the 2 tbsp (30 ml) very hot water in a small bowl until dissolved.
- Drain the pearls in a strainer and rinse for a few seconds under cool water to remove excess starch.
- Toss the pearls with the brown sugar syrup and set aside.
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Ready when: Pearls are glossy, separate and coated in syrup.
Tip: Don't rinse for long. Cooling them completely makes the pearls firm up.
7
Blend the shake
- Add the cold milk, softened ice cream and the cooled taro paste to the blender, with the milk first.
- Blend on high for 30–45 seconds.
- Taste, and blend 10 seconds more if you see any taro flecks.
- If it is too thick to pour, blend in 1–2 tbsp more milk.
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Ready when: The shake is thick and pale lavender with no visible lumps, and it slowly falls from a spoon.
Tip: If the taro paste is still warm, wait a few more minutes or the ice cream will melt and the shake will be thin.
8
Assemble and serve
- Spoon about half the pearls with some syrup into each tall glass.
- Pour in the shake and serve right away with wide boba straws and a long spoon.
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Ready when: The shake is thick, cold and topped with glossy pearls.
Tip: Serve within 10 minutes. The pearls get hard and the shake gets thin as it sits.

Good to know

Tips

Mash the taro well while hot. The smoother the paste, the smoother the shake.
For a more vivid purple color, add a tiny drop of ube extract. It is optional and the shake tastes great without it.
For a sweeter, richer shake, blend in 1–2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk.
Use a wide straw (at least 10 mm) so the pearls can come up easily.

Make ahead

"Steam and mash the taro up to 2 days ahead and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it stand 15 minutes at room temperature before blending. Cook the pearls the same day you serve, since they harden in the fridge."

Storage & reheating

"Best served immediately. Leftover blended shake can be frozen in a covered container for up to 1 month. Thaw 10 minutes and re-blend with a splash of milk, but the texture will be less airy. Taro paste keeps in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Cooked pearls keep at room temperature for up to 4 hours and should not be refrigerated. Leftover pearls do not reheat well, so cook only what you need."

Substitutions

whole milk → Oat milk or unsweetened soy milk. Gives a dairy-free-friendly shake if you also use a non-dairy vanilla ice cream. Oat milk gives the creamiest result.
vanilla ice cream → Coconut ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt. Coconut adds a tropical flavor. Frozen yogurt is tangier and a bit thinner.
dried tapioca pearls (standard black boba) → Quick-cook tapioca pearls. Follow the package time, usually about 5 minutes. Skip the 10-minute rest unless the package says to.
taro root → Purple sweet potato, steamed the same way. Gives a similar color and creaminess with a sweeter taste. Reduce the added sugar to 1 tbsp.